The Los Angeles Clippers walloped the NBA's worst team on Saturday night with a 111-86 drubbing of the Charlotte Bobcats. It was a win the Clippers needed to keep pace with the red-hot San Antonio Spurs among the budding elite in the Western Conference. Around the NBA, Jeremy Lin continued doing his thing, the Denver Nuggets came back from the dead for a huge road win, and the Mavericks and Trail Blazers battled in a double-overtime thriller in Dallas.
Los Angeles Clippers 111, Charlotte Bobcats 86: Chris Paul had 18 points and 14 assists as the Clippers won their sixth of the last seven games on the road. The Clippers are 17-8, tying the 1974-1975 Buffalo Braves for the best start in franchise history.
New York Knicks 100, Minnesota Timberwolves 98: Jeremy Lin had five points on 1-for-13 shooting with four turnovers in the second half, but hit the go-ahead free throw with 4.9 seconds remaining to give New York their fifth straight victory. Lin ended with 20 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in the win as the Knicks overcame a seven-point deficit in the final quarter. Kevin Love continued his stellar campaign with 32 points and 21 rebounds.
San Antonio Spurs 103, New Jersey Nets 89: Tim Duncan scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading San Antonio to their seventh straight win in the third game of their nine-game Rodeo road trip. The Spurs had five players score in double figures and at 19-9 (.679) are narrowly behind the Clippers (.680) for the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Denver Nuggets 113, Indiana Pacers 109: Ty Lawson scored 27 points to lead Denver to a much-needed road win, snapping a five-game losing streak for the Nuggets. Former UCLA Bruin Arron Afflalo had 23 points and five rebounds for Denver.
Dallas Mavericks 97, Portland Trail Blazers 94 (2 OT): Delonte West scored six of his 10 points in the second overtime, leading Dallas to its third straight win and the current fourth seed in the Western Conference. Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win, while fellow All-Star reserve LaMarcus Aldridge had 33 points and 12 rebounds in the loss for Portland.